Is My Professional Development Up-To-Date?

.

---

Rise Of The Professional Educator

.

Rise of the professional Educator

.

---

Is your Professional Development Up-To-Date?

I think that “Is MY Professional Development Up-To-Date?” is the first question which you need to ask yourselves! You can ONLY give BEST and QUALITY courses when knowing about the latest knowledge in a 21st Century Education. But ===> HOW TO know this? <===

That’s a question I am getting asked very often from Teachers and Teacher-Students around the world through my Social Media presence on Twitter and I must say what I see on a global base doesn’t make me feel really happy! Lots of teachers around the globe are tweeting, which I encourage to do as much as possible by joining ALSO a so called “PLN“, a “Personal Learning Network“, but ONLY a few shows a real understanding, competencies, about what they are doing; even the so called “Edu-Stars” in certain countries! So, to take away some misunderstanding from the above said, I don’t make teacher-bashing! I ONLY will show how difficult it is to follow to be up-to-date ==> Nobody Is Perfect! <==, me neither! It’s an analyzing from my daily Social Media connections… The CHANGE is very quick and ALL of us have problems to follow that quick ALSO! That is WHY it is so IMPORTANT to learn on a daily base to be still able not missing the train 😉 [my advice]! ===> Life Long Learning! <===

.

THE ADDRESS to know and to follow:

• http://www.scoop.it/t/21st-century-learning-and-teaching/?tag=OECD
• http://www.scoop.it/t/21st-century-learning-and-teaching/?tag=Fostering+learning+communities+among+tea

 

.

.

---

The Main Skills of a 21st Century Learner and Teacher

The quest to be a modern teacher or student is in full swing. First though, figure out if you have these important 21st century skills.

• Develop proficiency and fluency with the tools of technology;
• Build intentional cross-cultural connections and relationships with others so to pose and solve problems collaboratively and strengthen independent thought;
• Design and share information for global communities to meet a variety of purposes;
• Manage, analyze, and synthesize multiple streams of simultaneous information;
• Create, critique, analyze, and evaluate multimedia texts;
• Attend to the ethical responsibilities required by these complex environments.

First of ALL, please check these images as on my point of view they show BEST:

.

Image credits: Edudemic

.

.

Image Credit to: http://www.teachthought.com/learning/8-characteristics-of-education30/

Here is my selection of  BEST articles, my own view and Curation of  HOW TO find out:

• Future Work Skills Needed (A MUST Read!)
• Quality Teaching a MUST!
• Not ONLY rights but ALSO responsibility
• My Curation about Professional Development
• Social Learning
• Competency and what it is and WHY it SHOULD be included in Education!
• Learn about Critical Thinking (A MUST in 21st Century)
• Learning To Learn
• 21st Century Learning and Teaching
  • Digital Citizenship – eCitizen
  • Creativity
  • Critical Thinking

• 21st Century Tools for Teaching-People and Learners

  • Infographics
• What is “Curation”?
• What is a “PLN”?
• What is #Twitter” and HOW TO use it in Education?
• What is “Social Media” and HOW TO use it in Education?

  • Do We Need Social Media Education in Schools Now?

• What is a Twitter-Chat and HOW TO use it in Education?
• Blogs and Accessibility
  • Accessibility
• The Professional Development of Teachers
• …

.

Very IMPORTANT:

• Why You Should Build a Community of Learners in Your School
• Digital Learning Day: USA
• Safer Internet Day 2013
• Emotions and Learning
• Communication ===> The letter “C” in ICT
• Make sure YOU have updated your websites and blogs (Security)!!!
  • YOU don’t want to infect your visitors while visiting your websites and blogs, aren’t you!?
• What you should know about “Bring Your Own Device“ [BYOD]
• What is “Social Media“?
  • Using Twitter and Twitter Chats for improvement  ===> Calendar of Twitter Chats
    
• On the need for visual literacy
  • Visual Learning
  • Visual IT-Security
  • Visual Thinking Revolution
• Entrepreneurial skills that can make us better educators
• Engagement
• Netiquette
• …

.

Future Work Skills Needed (A MUST Read!)

.

And YOU SHOULD ALSO know this about all the NEW technical expressions in Education, check the Infographic below, please:

.

EdTech Sheet Cheat, put it in your Office, click to download it!

.

And didn’t WE forget something in the above mentioned!? YES, WE did! When working with computers, Smartphones, Tablets and any device connecting to the Internet WE have to consider ALSO the aspect of Cyber-Security and Internet-Safety! And what about “Bring Your Own Device“, called also “BYOD“ ===> Twitter Hashtag = #BYOD <===

Sounds strange to YOU!? It shouldn’t as YOU have to accept that any Technology present and certainly also in the future requires Safety and Security knowledge! Especially the Technology who is connecting to the Internet! 

Why!???

Online learning, e-Learning, m-Learning and BYOD are interconnected in many ways with the Real-World, both are influencing each other! By sharing information with others WE  must also take care about WHAT WE are sharing! 

This MUST be known, especially concerning Cyber-Security! I will explain in a different course (in depth) ===> why Cyber-Security is a MUST in 21st Century Learning and Teaching <===, for the moment feel free to visit my following FREE courses to get an overview:

•  Learning basics of Cyber-Security
• Cyber-Security Practice: Learn it in one week
• Cyber-Hygiene: ICT Hygiene for Population, Education and Business
• Safer Internet Day 2013-SID2013-Participation

.

 

.

and check this Infographic who will show you most important!

.

Click here to go to the article where the Infographic is.

---

Do YOU know What Effective Teaching is!?

Read the full article and report here:

• The MET project released progress reports as its research and analysis progressed.

.

---

Ideas for “Professional Development”

.

Recently WordPress introduced a new Plug-In. [Start Text from EDUDEMIC] The new WordPress plugin from WooThemes (a popular WordPress premium theme provider) lets you start up your own online school with ease. It’s as simple as installing a WordPress plugin. The actual content and other school-y stuff is, of course, up to you. But the technical stuff is taken care of by this new plugin. [End Text from EDUDEMIC]

.

• Online School Plugin from WordPress

.

SO, my idea behind that NEW plugin is that teachers with a good knowledge HELP other teachers with their “Professional Development” by creating such a platform! THINK about it and use the “Social Learning” factor in spreading the word on Twitter 😉

BTW: Did You Know that WordPress is providing ALSO a Template called “WordPress Annotum” with which it is possible to collaborate with multi-authors, even on an academic way!? Check out the link(s) below to learn more:

• ANNOTUM
• …

---

You Need To Be An Expert On Learning Before Teaching!

.

.

The BEST teachers are the teachers who are the BEST LEARNERS, that is NOT a secret anymore and it is the TRUTH! Somebody who knows about “Learning To Learn” is able to forward ALSO that precious knowledge, as in my eyes “Learning To Learn” is the MOST IMPORTANT knowledge!

• Learning To Learn
• …

Important quotes about the above:

• The object of teaching a child is to enable him to get along without a teacher. Elbert Hubbard (1856-1915) American author, editor and printer.
• “It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that they are difficult.” (Seneca the Younger)
• “I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think.” – Socrates
• Education is what remains when we have forgotten all that we have been taught. 

  George Savile, Marquis of Halifax (1633-1695) English statesman and author.

• The whole object of education is…to develop the mind. The mind should be a thing that works. Sherwood Anderson (1876–1941) American novelist and short story writer.

•  Education … has produced a vast population able to read but unable to distinguish what is worth reading. 

  G. M. Trevelyan (1876-1962) British historian

• You can lade a man up to th’ university, but ye can’t make him think.  Finley Peter Dunne (1867—1936) U.S. author, writer and humorist.
• Teachers open the door, you enter by yourself  Chinese proverb.
• …

---

How To Become a Great Teacher

.

I will present you some great articles where you could get inspired, as well as some Infographics who will guide you:

.

.

Click here for the download in full size

• Anatomy of a great teacher
• …

.

---

I don’t have that much time to update my Professional Development!?

.

That is probably the phrase I hear the most and which is a big EXCUSE of NOT wanting the CHANGE, the change from OLD teaching methods to 21st Century Learning and Teaching!

First of ALL, let’s play a bit music about “Time” 😉

.

.

---

.

.

SO, HOW can I manage BETTER my Time? Check the link below to find out FREE tools who will HELP you to manage your time! BUT don’t forget: some less on some tasks to get more for Education 😉

• Curation of  Time Management
• …

.

---

Are You Committed Enough to Invest in Yourself?

That’s a question which you have to ask yourself, read the following for more information: [Start Text from Are You Committed Enough to Invest in Yourself?]  ===> A 9-to-5 career, if that is your model, is a recipe for career failure. <===

Because of the constant change that is swirling around all of us and our organizations, it does not matter where you are. We are all in the middle of the storm. And by the way, when I mention the negatives of being a 9-to-5 person, I am not talking about having to be a workaholic instead. I am talking about being committed to what YOU chose as a profession.   [End Text from Are You Committed Enough to Invest in Yourself?]

.

Read the full article, a MUST:

•  Are You Committed Enough to Invest in Yourself?

.

---

I Have Too Much Stress To Learn!?

That is ALSO again a phrase I hear too often and I am wondering that intelligent people as Teachers don’t know the solution, but anyway; have a look on above Topic “Time Management” to find out which FREE tools will help you to manage BETTER your time and I advise you to check the below “Infographic“:

.

Check the Infographic here: Stress

.

---

Any Other Resources Than Mine To Make YOU An Overview?

Of course, I will provide YOU ALSO some other resources where YOU will be able to create yourselves a much deeper view of it! In this FREE course I give YOU what I think is the most important knowledge and to give YOU the ability to use YOUR critical thinking, I will provide to YOU the following links:

• Coaching Teacher Leaders
• …

.

---

Why Letting Go of the Past is So Difficult

Most of us, so called OLDIES Teachers, I am one of them (BTW: I am 58 by writing this [2013]), have big problems to adapt to the NEW! I don’t know at ALL, why!? I am a Life Long Learner and so I am prepared for ALL of what is NEW and I don’t fear to learn more, actually I love to learn to give my BEST knowledge to my learners!

SO, this told, I invite YOU to read this psychological article, which I think is very important for YOU to understand a bit he “hidden” behind, do so please, thanks!

• Why Letting Go of the Past is So Difficult

• …

..

.

---

SO, What is THE Real Change!?

In preparation… Actually ONLY key phrases, will go deeper later…

1) Practice, NOT anymore ONLY Theory, but more Practice is a MUST in the 21st Century while using devices with a computer included!

2) Collaboration with the learners and ALSO with other teachers and principals is required!

3) Win-Win Situation between teachers and learners…

4) Less of Hierarchy, where it means the fear of some teachers to lose power over the students when being a coach…

5) Go away from Linear-Learning, NOT A-Z while using A-B-C-D-E…-Z, use A-Z-K-B and so on as with ICT one can combine different knowledge in one course by time…

.

KEYWORDS FOR THIS FREE COURSE and what you will learn:

“Knowledge is a treasure, but practice is the key to it.”

.

YOU will learn about WHAT YOU should know to become a great teacher: 

===> All the possible quality resources where YOU can learn on YOUR OWN pace as a self-learner (autodidact), some ideas to think about for a BETTER and quickest way to get the teachers on the TOP of “Professional Development” Up-To-Date” Level! <===

AND: THE MOST IMPORTANT when working with ICT ===> basic knowledge of Cyber-Security!

Basics of Cyber-Security Practice, Proactive Thinking, Cyber-Hygiene, hygiene, Awareness, motivation, engagement, heroes, Security-Scouts, critical thinking, stay out of the box, adapt to new technologies, be aware of the malware, nobody is perfect, knowing the dangers and risks, responsibility, responsibility of School, responsibility of Education, responsibility of IT-Admin, responsibilities of BYOD users, Apple insecurity, Insecurity of Apps, Principals responsibilities, Mobile Device Management (MDM), Mobile Application Management (MAM), risks of BYOD, BYOD-Policy, IT-Security Infrastructure, Teacher-Parents Meeting, Cyberwar, Cyberwarfare, Government, Internet-Safety, IT-Security knowledge basics, UK govt encourages insurers to reward good IT security…

• The weakest link in the Security Chain is the human! If you don’t respect certain advice you will get tricked by the Cyber-Criminals!

===> NOBODY is perfect! A security by 100% doesn’t exist! <===

===> “Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.” – Marie Curie – <===

.

Protecting the organization’s network and its data from attack and misuse requires more than just a BYOD mentality; establishing secure, mobile-enabled operations requires a mobility access control program that includes corporate-provisioned, approved employee- and partner-owned devices as well as unmanaged guest devices.

• BYOD what you should absolutely know

. .

---

Poll, Your FeedBack Is Welcome

.

 

.

---

Frequently Asked Questions – FAQ’s

.

..to be continued

.

..

---

.

.

L’auteur Gust MEES est Formateur andragogique / pédagogique TIC, membre du “Comité Conseil” de “Luxembourg Safer Internet” (LuSI), appelé maintenant BEESECURE, partenaire officiel (consultant) du Ministère de l’éducation au Luxembourg du projet  ”MySecureIT“, partenaire officiel du Ministère du Commerce au Luxembourg du projet ”CASES” (Cyberworld Awareness and Security Enhancement Structure). The author Gust MEES is ICT Course Instructor, ”Member of the Advisory Board” from “Luxembourg Safer Internet” (LuSI), BEESECURE, Official Partner (Consultant) from the Ministry of Education in Luxembourg, project “MySecureIT“, Official Partner from the Ministry of Commerce in Luxembourg, project “CASES” (Cyberworld Awareness and Security Enhancement Structure). .

.
.
.